Umbrella construction



Nov. 28, 1961 H. TIBONY UMBRELLA CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 5, 1959 Turin United States Patent 3,010,465 UMBRELLA CONSTRUCTION Henry Tibony, 118 Dudley Ave., Staten Island, N.Y. Filed Jan. 5, 1959, Ser. No. 784,926 9 Claims. (Cl. 135-33) This invention relates to umbrella construction.

In order to secure the cover of an umbrella so that it may be held in place upon the umbrella stick, it is desirable to utilize retaining means which will function to retain the cover securely with relation to the stick. The invention herein has a specific application to the type of umbrella known as the pagoda umbrella.

It is an object of the invention to provide a construction so simplified that two members and a simple assembly operation suflice to secure the cover for mounting the cover with relation to the umbrella stick, and to provide a water shed along the stick of the umbrella.

It is an object of the invention to provide a ferrule and grommet combination for use in mounting the umbrella cover with relation to the umbrella stick, where the ferrule and grommet cooperate to assure that the cover be held firmly with relation to the stick when the cover is to be mounted upon the stick.

It is an object of the invention to provide for an umbrella a simply constructed ferrule which facilitates its assembly, by means of a grommet, firmly to anchor the ferrule to the cover, and thus to locate the stick of the umbrella with relation to the cover.

Other objects of the invention will be set forth hereinafter, or will be apparent from the description and the drawings, in which is illustrated an embodiment exemplifying the invention.

The invention, in accordance with the claims, is not to be restricted to any particular construction, or any particular arrangement of parts, or any particular application of any such construction or arrangement of parts, or

any specific method of operation or use, or any of the various details thereof, even where specifically shown and described herein, as the same may be modified in vairous particulars, or may be applied in many varied relations, without departing fiom the spirit and scope of the claimed invention. The exemplifying embodiment, herein shown and described, is intended only to be illustrative of an operative embodiment.

On the drawings, in which the same reference characters refer to the same pal-ts throughout, and in which is disclosed such a practical construction,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an umbrella embodying certain features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a ferrule and a grommet for association in securing the cover of an unbrella upon the stick of an umbrella, in accordance with the invention, the parts being shown in position to be moved into'assembled relation;

FIG. 3 is a detailed cross-sectional view, substantially on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1, illustrating the manner in which the parts of the cover-retaining means are assem bled, and located with relation to the umbrella stick;

FIG. 4 is a detail cross-sectional view, substantially on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3, illustrating the manner in which the grommet and the ferrule are secured together for 16. The sections terminate at a common central point,

3,010,465 Patented Nov. 28, 1961 leaving open a passageway 18 through which stick 20 for the umbrella may be inserted. An assembly 22 is produced in a manner to be described for use in locating the cover with relation to stick 20.

Assembly 22 comprises a ferrule 24 and a grommet 26. Ferrule 24 may be spun from metal, or be formed otherwise. In the construction here shown, the ferrule has been spun from metal so as to provide a cylindrical wall 28 of a length sufiicient to bear against the side faces of stick 20. At the end of wall 28, metal may be spun to form an outwardly diverging wall 30 from the end of which extends another cylindrical wall 32. At the other end 34 of wall 32, the metal is spun upwardly and outwardly into a cam face 36. Beyond cam face 36, the metal is bent around at 38 to provide a recess 40, the wall 42 forming recess 40 terminating in an end 44 which is spaced outwardly to clear the beginning face 46 of cam face 36.

Grommet 26 may take the form of a metallic washer 48 from an inner edge 50 of which a plurality of tines 52 are bent upwardly.

One method of assembly of grommet and ferrule is shown in FIG. 5. A punch 54 is provided; the punch may be magnetized in order to retain grommet 26 so that its tines 52 extend downwardly. Punch 54 may have a bore 56 in which a guide 58 may be positioned. This guide is intended to enter the opening 60 bounded by tines 52 of the grommet, and thus to locate the grommet with relation to the ferrule when press par-ts move together, in the manner to be described.

A die 62 is associated with punch 54; the die may have a cavity 64. A ferrule 24, made up in the form described, may be dropped in cavity 64 with wall 28 at the lower position, and the flange 66 defined by cam face 36 and wall 42 resting upon face 68 of the die. A pin 70, positioned in cavity 64, cooperates with guide 58 in locating the parts for the operation to be described. After the ferrule is in place in the cavity, the fabric of cover 12 is positioned so that pin 70 extends through passageway 18 to locate the cover centrally.

Punch 54 together with guide 58 is moved downwardly. The punch, pressing against face 72 of the washer, forces tines 52 through the cover material. The tines then engage against cam face 36, and, with continued pressure from punch 54, are bent into recess 40 (FIGS. 3 and 4).

The tines now are locked against separation from the ferrule, and the cover thus is locked to the ferrule. The stick of the umbrella may now be inserted (FIGS. 1 and 3) through bore 74 of the ferrule. If desired, a small spun end 76 may have been formed upon the end edge of wall 28. A notch 78 may be formed in stick 20. When the stick is inserted through bore 74, the cover is located. Where spun end 76 and notch 78 are provided, they will interlock. Thus the stick is retained with relation to the cover without requiring forming tools for the tines, and by a simple structure inexpensively produced.

Many other changes could be effected in the particular construction, and in the method of use and construction, and in specific details thereof, hereinbefore set forth, without substantially departing from the invention intended to be defined herein, the specific description being merely of an embodiment capable of illustrating certain principles of the invention.

What is claimed as new and useful is:

1. In combination with an umbrella stick and cover to be located and held with relation to the stick, the

cover having an orifice for the extension of the stick therethrough, a ferrule for reception upon that portion of the stick extending through the orifice, the ferrule comprising a sleeve including a wall section having a bore Whose transverse cross-section is dimensioned so that the wall section may fit closely upon the stick, and other wall portions connected to and extending toward the cover from the wall section, the transverse cross-section of said wall portions being dimensioned so that the wall portions are spaced away from the stick, said other wall portions having a flange extending therefrom, the flange being formed to provide a cam face extending slightly backwardly first in the direction of and then outwardly away from said other wall portions, the fiange turning back on itself to form an annular recess and an opening in line with the cam face, and a grommet having cover-piercing means, the cover-piercing means being positioned to align with the opening and to pass through the cover material and to be swedged into the recess by the cam face.

2. A ferrule construction for association with an umbrella stick and cover and toprovide a water shed for and to be located and held with relation to the stick, wherein the cover has an orifice for the extension of the stick therethrough, the ferrulebeing provided for reception upon that portion of the stick extending through the orifice, the ferrule comprising a sleeve including a wall section having a bore whose transverse cross-section is dimensioned so that the wall section may fit closely upon the stick, and other wall portions connected to and extending toward the cover from the wall section, the transverse cross-section of said wall portions being dimensioned so that the wall portions will be spaced away from the stick, said other wall portions having a flange extending therefrom, the flange being formed to provide a cam face extending slightly backwardly first in the direction of and then outwardly away from said other wall portions, the flange turning back on itself to form an annular recess and an opening in line with the cam face, and a grommet having cover-piercing means, the coverpiercing means being positioned to align with the opening and to pass through the cover material and to be swedged into the recess by the cam face.

3. A ferrule-construction for association with an umbrella stick and cover and to provide a water shed for and to be located and held with relation to the stick, wherein the cover has an orifice for the extension of the stick therethrough, the ferrule being provided for reception upon that portion of the stick extending through the orifice, the ferrule comprising a sleeve including a wall section having a bore whose transverse cross-section is dimensioned so that the wall section may fit closely upon the stick, and other wall portions connected to and extending toward the cover from the wall section, said other Wall portions having a flange extending therefrom, the flange being formed to provide a cam face facing outwardly away from said other wall portions, the flange being shaped to form an annular recess and an opening in line with the cam face, and a grommet having coverpiercing means, the cover-piercing means being positioned to align with the opening and to pass through the cover material and to be swedged into the recess by the cam face.

4. A ferrule construction for association with an umbrella stick and cover and to provide a water shed for and to be located and held with relation to the stick, wherein the cover has an orifice for the extension of the stick therethrough, the ferrule being provided for reception upon that portion of the stick extending through the orifice, the ferrule comprising a metallic sleeve including a Wall section having a bore whose transverse cross-section is dimensioned so that the Wall section may fit closely upon the stick, and other wall portions connected to and extending toward the cover from the wall section, said other wall portions having a flange extending laterally from said wall portions, the flange having a cam face facing outwardly away from said other wall portions, the flange being shaped to form an annular recess opening inwardly toward the bore and providing a passage in line with the cam face, and a grommet having cover-piercing means, the cover-piercing means being positioned to align with the passage and to pass through the cover material and to be swedged into the recess by the cam face.

5. A ferrule construction for association with an um-. brella stick and cover and to provide a water shed for and to be located and held with relation to the stick, wherein the cover has an orifice for the extension of the stick therethrough, the ferrule being provided for reception upon that portion of the stick extending through the orifice, the ferrule comprising a metallic sleeve including a wall section having a bore whose transverse crosssection is dimensioned so that the wall section may fit closely upon'the stick, and other wall portions connected to and extending toward the cover from the wall section, said other wall portions having a flange extending laterally from said wall portions, the flange having a face facing outwardly away from said other wall portions, the flange being shaped to form an annular recess and an opening providing access to said flange face,'and a grommet having cover-piercing means, the cover-piercing means being positioned to align with theopening and to pass through the cover material and to be swedged into the recess by engagement with the face.

6. A ferrule construction for association with an umbrella stick and cover and to provide a water shed for and to be located and held with relation to the stick, wherein the cover has an orifice for the extension of the stick therethrough, the ferrule being provided for reception upon that portion of the stick extending" through the orifice, the ferrule comprising a sleeve including a wall section having a bore whose transverse cross-section is dimensioned so that the wall section may fit closely upon the stick, and other wall portions connected to and extending toward the cover from the wall section, the transverse cross-section of said Wall portions being dimensioned so that the wall portions will be spaced away from the stick, said other wall portions having a flange extending therefrom, the flange being formed to provide a cam face extending slightly backwardly first in the direction of and then outwardly away from said other wall portions, the flange turning back on itself to form an annular recess and an opening in line with the cam face, and a grommet having cover-piercing means, the cover-piercing means being positioned to align with the opening and to pass through the cover material and to be swedged laterally outwardly into the recess by the cam face. a

7. In combination with an umbrella stick and cover and to provide a water shed for and to be located and held with relation to the stick, the cover having an orifice for the extension of the stick therethrough, a ferrule for reception upon that portion of the stick extending through the orifice, the ferrule comprising a metallic sleeve including a wall section having a bore whose transverse cross-section is dimensioned so that the wall section may fit closely upon the stick, and other wall pontions connected to and extending toward the cover from the Wall section, said other wall portions having a flange extending laterally from said wall portions and to an extent to overlap the cover beyond the extent of the orifice, the flange having a face at the overlappedportion of the flange, the flange being shaped to form an annular recess and an opening providing access to said flange face, the flange being constructed to position all of its parts on one side of the cover and a grommet having coverpiercing means, the cover-piercingmeans being positioned to align with the opening and to pass through the cover material and to be swedged laterally outwardly into the recess by engagement with the face.

8. In combination with an umbrella stick and cover to be located and held with relation to the stick, the cover having an orifice for the extension of the stick therethrough, a ferrule for reception upon that portion of the stick extending through the orifice, the ferrule comprising a sleeve including a wall section having a bore whose transverse cross-section is dimensioned so that the wall section may fit closely upon the stick, and other wall portions connected to and extending toward the cover from the wall section, the transverse cross-section of said wall portions being dimensioned so that the wall portions are spaced away from the stick, said other Wall portions having a flange extending therefrom, the flange being formed to provide a cam face extending slightly backwardly first in the direction of and then outwardly away from said other wall portions, the flange turning back on itself to form an annular recess and terminating so as to provide an opening for free access to the cam face, and a grommet having cover-piercing means, the coverpiercing means being positioned to align with the opening and to pass through the cover material and to be swedged into the recess by the cam face.

9. A ferrule construction for association with an umbrella stick and cover and to provide a water shed for and to be located and held with relation to the stick, wherein the cover has an orifice for the extension of the stick therethrough, the ferrule being provided for reception upon that portion of the stick extending through the orifice, the ferrule comprising a metallic sleeve including a wall section having a bore whose transverse cross-section is dimensioned so that the wall section may fit closely upon the stick, and other wall portions connected to and extending toward the cover from the wall section, the transverse cross-section of said wall portions being dimensioned so that the wall portions will be spaced way from the stick, said other wall portions having a flange extending therefrom, the flange being formed to provide a cam face extending slightly backwardly first in the direction of and then outwardly away from said other wall portions, the flange turning back on itself to form an annular recess and an opening in line with the cam face, and a metallic grommet having bendable tines, the tines being positioned to align with the opening and to pass through the cover material and to be swedged into the recess by the cam face.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 304,249 Wilcox Aug. 26, 1884 2,120,959 Hollander June 14, 1938 2,553,440 Cathcart May 15, 1951 2,590,332 Levin Mar. 25, 1952 

